Tulane Green Wave Involved in One of Most Surprising Week 5 Results
The Tulane Green Wave have been on a mission the last few weeks to cement their status among G5 contenders in college football this season.
They suffered some tough losses against the Kansas State Wildcats and Oklahoma Sooners earlier in the season, dropping their record to 1-2. While they were competitive in both games, being unable to get over the hump dropped them in the eyes of some people.
Looking to gain some of that respect back, they went on the road to face the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns in Week 4. They got back on track, winning 41-33 in a game in which some of their issues persisted.
However, in their American Athletic Conference opener against South Florida at Yulman Stadium, the Green Wave showed just how dominant they can be when everything is clicking.
They destroyed the Bulls in convincing fashion, 45-10. Tulane was projected to win the game by 7.4 points, making that outcome one of the five biggest surprises of Week 5 in the opinion of ESPN’s Bill Connelly.
“We'll see if Jon Sumrall's Green Wave can overcome nonconference losses to Kansas State and Oklahoma and insert themselves back into the G5 CFP picture. On Saturday, they reminded us that they have just about the highest upside of any G5 team.”
Leading the way in that performance was quarterback Darian Mensah. He completed 18-of-22 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns. The redshirt freshman, who beat out former five-star recruit and Oregon Ducks transfer Ty Thompson and veteran Kai Horton, has certainly shown the skills that caught the coaching staff’s eye to move him from No. 3 to atop the depth chart.
He has built up quite a rapport with his receivers, as Dontae Fleming led the way this past weekend with seven receptions for 128 yards and one touchdown. The other two touchdown catches were recorded by Mario Williams, who finished with four receptions and 94 yards.
Having to overcome 1-2 starts isn’t anything new for Jon Sumrall. In his two seasons at the helm of the Troy Trojans, they started with that record each season; they didn’t lose another game under him in either campaign.
Will he be able to replicate that success in 2024 with his new team? That remains to be seen, but one thing is clear; the Green Wave are not to be taken lightly.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.